It occurred to me that if one were to gold plate the inside of there fusor shell, it might go some way to preventing water adsorbtion when the fusor was up to air. I was thinking of giving it a go with the next lot of modifications to my chamber, as i have some gold handy.
It would probably have to be electro plated onto chemically cleaned stainless rather than sputter coated, in order that it replaced the adsorbent SS surface rather than just covered it up.
does anyone have any opinions on this?
Oliver
gold plating vacuum components
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Roberto Ferrari
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Re: gold plating vacuum components
Oliver,
I don't see any advantage -and a lot of pain and expenses- in gold plating yor fusor chamber.
Let's go the standard way: accept a pump down time, help yourself venting the system with dry nitrogen, and you will be able to reach 10-6 torr in less than one hour.
And spare your gold!
Roberto
I don't see any advantage -and a lot of pain and expenses- in gold plating yor fusor chamber.
Let's go the standard way: accept a pump down time, help yourself venting the system with dry nitrogen, and you will be able to reach 10-6 torr in less than one hour.
And spare your gold!
Roberto
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Richard Hester
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Re: gold plating vacuum components
One would be far better off having the stainless pieces electropolished rather than gold plated. Electopolishing is a standard UHV procedure for stainless components that reduces the surface area of the piece by dissolving away the microscopic peaks on the surface of the metal. It also leaves a chromium rich surface layer that looks nice and is less susceptible to corrosion and contamination.
Re: gold plating vacuum components
indead electropolishing is a good idea, i shall try it, if i can locate the right chemicals for the electrolyte.
Oliver
Oliver
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Richard Hester
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Re: gold plating vacuum components
It's probably better to let a professional do it - it's not all that expensive, especially compared to gold plating. I had a small chamber electropolished a few years ago for 40-50 dollars. I probably could have had some more stuff done as well, as this was the minimum charge.
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Richard Hull
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Re: gold plating vacuum components
The electrolyte is common citric acid.
Richard Hull
Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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Richard Hester
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Re: gold plating vacuum components
A 40:60 mix of sulfuric and phosphoric acid is also used in electropolishing stainless. However it's done, the price for professional electropolising is about the same (or less) as you'd pay for the electrolyte ingredients and gear, with no mess and a better assurance that it will come out right.
Re: gold plating vacuum components
apparently the origanal patent sugested a mix of sulphuric, phosphoric and IPA. citric acid would certanly be easyer!
unfortunitly i don't have the option of getting it done profesionly as i have absolutly no money until somone gives me a job.
Oliver
unfortunitly i don't have the option of getting it done profesionly as i have absolutly no money until somone gives me a job.
Oliver
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Richard Hull
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Re: gold plating vacuum components
Citric acid is often used now by the more namby-pamby tree hunger companies and institutions who couldn't emotionally deal with employees splashing the other mix on themselves or the problem associated with flushing or disposing of the spend fluids. Such a bright shiny tomorrow.
As a kid, I remember the old scrap yard 3 blocks away that also turned a post-war buck by selling used car batteries. They had thousands of 'em (6 volt of course-early 50's). They used to collect all the old battery acid of the batteries that were truly dead and pour it in the stream that ran behind the "yard". They got the lead via a "patio process". They would gather about 200 or more batteries on this concrete patio with a 4" high block wall or rim. The batteries would be set on fire with the help of a little kerosene. (These were the old style hard rubber-tar top jobs). The fire burned hot and sooty and could be seen all over the neighborhood. It was traditional for the boys, on a saturday, to see the black plume, especially in the winter, and run down to the yard to watch the fire and keep warm by it. Naturally, the intense heat melted and reduced the lead to puddles on the patio floor. After a 'burn' the area would be left over night and the next day, the ashes would be hauled out and the lead matts picked up, remelted, dross skimmed and cast into 3 pound plumber's ingots. We always thought it was cool when they piled up the shiny ingots from the melt.
We made heavy walled (boiler tube) pipe cannons as very young teens and cast many 1" lead canon balls for firing across the river with FG blackpowder that we bought at the hardware store. Somehow we managed to live through this ecological horror show and explosives phase.
Only now do I see my errors and how horrid man was when I was young. I hang my head and pray to greepeace and the Sierra club for deliverance from these past environmental sins and displays of childish masculine bravado.
Richard Hull
As a kid, I remember the old scrap yard 3 blocks away that also turned a post-war buck by selling used car batteries. They had thousands of 'em (6 volt of course-early 50's). They used to collect all the old battery acid of the batteries that were truly dead and pour it in the stream that ran behind the "yard". They got the lead via a "patio process". They would gather about 200 or more batteries on this concrete patio with a 4" high block wall or rim. The batteries would be set on fire with the help of a little kerosene. (These were the old style hard rubber-tar top jobs). The fire burned hot and sooty and could be seen all over the neighborhood. It was traditional for the boys, on a saturday, to see the black plume, especially in the winter, and run down to the yard to watch the fire and keep warm by it. Naturally, the intense heat melted and reduced the lead to puddles on the patio floor. After a 'burn' the area would be left over night and the next day, the ashes would be hauled out and the lead matts picked up, remelted, dross skimmed and cast into 3 pound plumber's ingots. We always thought it was cool when they piled up the shiny ingots from the melt.
We made heavy walled (boiler tube) pipe cannons as very young teens and cast many 1" lead canon balls for firing across the river with FG blackpowder that we bought at the hardware store. Somehow we managed to live through this ecological horror show and explosives phase.
Only now do I see my errors and how horrid man was when I was young. I hang my head and pray to greepeace and the Sierra club for deliverance from these past environmental sins and displays of childish masculine bravado.
Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment